The Taste of Seduction

"He seemed to follow us from afar and came here faster because of his speed as a vampire. He killed everyone before we could even attack and saved Meredith. Splendid!"

Only silence filled the air as Austin made an awkward remark. They already knew what happened without talking about it and pointing it out, however, he still spoke aloud about it--giving a summary.

"Sorry to break this up," Marcus started, now getting everyone\'s attention as they remember Meredith\'s condition. "But we have to rest and treat her wound ASAP. The bleeding may have stopped, but you cannot possibly continue travelling with her having an injured leg, huh?"

The three of them looked at him. Atlas however gave him a glare as he spoke to him with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"Funny that you know what we are doing. Quite the stalker, aren\'t we?"

Marcus didn\'t reply and just stared at him. As he ignored his statement and then looked back at Meredith, he grew worried by the second. He wanted her to rest and he wanted Austin to tend to her wound immediately so she can feel at ease.

It must have been a very traumatizing event to experience indeed. For sure, she would like to rest and settle in their tent before continuing.

"But we can\'t rest just yet," Meredith said, reminding them what they came here in Svalbard for. "We have to get the key, remember?" she added, surprising the three when Marcus showed to them the thing that they had been looking for.

"This key, right?"

"You…" Austin blinked his eyes a few times in amusement. "How did you get it?"

Marcus let out a small sigh and immediately gave it to Atlas so he wouldn\'t look at him with doubtful and angry eyes.

He told them that he started following them before they even visited Ireland and decided to do it secretly so he could protect Meredith with his own methods and lo and behold… she did need protection.

He then quickly told them how he got a hold of the, the vampire recalling how he fought the group of incubis single-handedly.

***

After Marcus took turns in search for Meredith, he then noticed that he is now standing before a statue of what seemed to be a prominent woman in the magical realm.

\'Is this the key that the leprechaun was talking about? What the beasts were hiding?\' he thought to himself, remembering what he heard when he stalked them in Ireland, in the mountains to look for the leprechauns.

His keen eyes scanned the intricate carvings of the key that was work like a necklace by the statue. He then thought that since he is in the convenience of retrieving the key for the group while saving Meredith, then he should grab the opportunity.

If he\'s not mistaken, the key was believed to have the power to unlock an ancient treasure, but first, he had to defeat a group of incubus who were guarding it.

As he turned to search for clues on how to get the key without alarming the enemies, he heard a faint sound coming from an alleyway. Without hesitation, he followed the sound, his senses on high alert.

As he turned the corner, he saw a group of incubus, their red eyes glowing in the darkness. They hissed at him, their sharp claws ready for attack.

Marcus took a step back, his body tense, ready to fight. The first incubus lunged at him, but Marcus was too quick. With one swift movement, he plunged his hand into the incubus\'s chest, pulling out its heart.

The other incubus hesitated, but Marcus didn\'t give them a chance to attack. He fought with speed and precision, his vampire strength giving him an advantage.

As the last of the incubus fell, Marcus turned back to the statue. He knew that the real challenge was yet to come. He had to find a way to retrieve the key without setting off any traps. He studied the statue, searching for any clues.

Finally, he found a hidden lever that opened a secret passage. Once the lever was activated, there were ticks and tacks heard in the surroundings. It must have indicated that the traps were set off as well. And true enough, the moment he touched the string of the key, nothing happened.

He then wore it around his neck and hid it under his shirt for safekeeping. He descended into the darkness, his keen senses guiding him. He then heard Meredith\'s shouts, fighing against an incubus. It pumped his adrenaline up as he rushed to save her.

The key was in his hand, and he knew that it would unlock a world of ancient secrets based from what he heard while eavesdropping on their conversation with the leprechaun.

But as he looked at Meredith, he knew that she was his most valuable treasure that he could never lose even though he was never chosen by her.

***

After Marcus told them what happened, Atlas and Austin now understood why the statue didn\'t have the necklace around its neck. They decided to look for it after saving Meredith, but it turns out things happened in their favor.

Marcus had already retrieved the key after fighting the incubis to rescue Meredith. It all happened in favor, as if it was destined to happen.

Now that they got the key with them, they indeed agreed with the vampire that Meredith is now the next in priority to take care of. She\'s injured and she\'s part of their journey in retrieving the book. They have to tend to her or else, their whole mission would get delayed.

"Let\'s go back to camp, then. Meredith needs rest," Atlas said, already changing into his werewolf form. Understanding the gesture, she carefully rode him, the whole group already walking out of the place safely as no incubus was left alive.

However, as they walked, Marcus was behind them. He felt his heart ache when he saw that the two were together when they told him to leave.

A painful smile tugged the corner of his lips, a thought passing his mind as he watched them together.

\'As long as you\'re safe and happy… I can endure life without you.\'